Document: Mhairi McVicar

published: made at wsa, 4, (2007), Welsh School of Architecture, 61

IMPLICIT NARRATIONS IN THE LIFE OF A DETAIL

The wine bar ‘Avec’ in Chicago aims to go beyond a surface veneer with an ethos based around the act of sharing- ‘with’. Small and large platters are shared between friends; 8-seat tables are shared by strangers; conversations are struck up over the dish you wish you’d ordered or with a recommendation for a neighbour debating over a menu choice.

The detail implicitly assumes this life. A note in the final drawings, “3/4” x 5 1/4” shiplap cedar for Type 1 Fire rating, clear finish” encapsulates months of discussion and decision making amongst a design team. Themes of community, sharing, wine making, occupation and wear are reduced to a single line of text. The technical specifications record the result of decisions taken; the consequences are explicit in the inhabitation.

Photo credit: Avec, 619 West Randolph Street, Chicago. Designers: Thomas Schlessor, Donnie Madia, Mhairi McVicar of James & Kutyla Architecture. Photo: Mhairi McVicar.